


Melodrama Move From One Sentence To Another

by Snow



Category: Party Animals (TV)
Genre: Arguing, British Politics, M/M, POV First Person, Politics, serious conversations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-30
Updated: 2010-04-30
Packaged: 2017-10-09 05:53:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/83740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snow/pseuds/Snow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A conversation about politics between Matt and Danny (assumes established relationship) becomes a conversation about something else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Melodrama Move From One Sentence To Another

**Author's Note:**

  * For [starseverywhere](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starseverywhere/gifts).



> stars - Obviously read this whenever you feel like it. I know you're busy beyond words.
> 
> And the title is indeed a Los Campesinos! song lyric.

"So you reckon Jo will be re-elected?"

Danny frowned at me, but it wasn't like we actually had an agreement not to talk about politics. Just most of the time I went easy on him, because I knew he didn't like to be reminded of our rather severe differences of opinion. On the other hand, he was a lot of fun to talk about these things with, partly because we came from such different angles. I tend to view arguments as a vital part of communication in a relationship.

"Her seat's quite safe," Danny said, after pausing long enough before his statement to make it clear that he was resisting being drawn into an argument.

There were two main angles I could take from here: I could express surprise in the idea that Jo was even running, given everything that was going on at home, or I could transition this to a discussion about the election. Hell, we could even stay on neutral ground and discuss the unexpected Lib Dem surge, but what would the fun of that be?

"I was just making sure you'd still be around," I said, _my_ pause having served to make Danny a little nervous. "Parliament's going to be a fun place."

I'd managed to disconcert him, I could tell. Funny how that hadn't even been my intention. We were neither of us sure of what our place in the new parliament would be, which was only fair, because neither was anyone else. Not really.

"Who knows?" I said with a careful grin. "We could _both_ end up on opposition."

Danny snorted. "As much as that would be interesting for the result it would have on our system of democracy, I don't think I'll bet on it."

I batted my eyelashes at him. "I didn't know you thought me being on opposition would make that much of an impact."

I've startled him into laughter, always an enjoyable experience. Once his laughter has subsided his reply is just what I could have hoped for. "Who are you kidding?" he asked. "We're practically a superhero and villain combination. Having us on the same side - or at least both pushed off to the sidelines - would probably break a couple laws of physics."

"Maybe if I grew a moustache I could twirl that would put things back in balance," I suggested.

"I'll take _that_ bet," Danny replied. "The Lib Dems win the election, you grow a moustache."

I snorted. "I think you would like me having a moustache less than I would."

"That's fine, because the Lib Dems can't win."

"Labour will?"

He lifted his nose. "We ought to."

I shook my head at him, condescending. "First off, like that matters? Secondly, highly debatable. There's no objective way to tell who's going to 'be better for the country', Danny. Because no one can agree on what direction they want Britain to take. Not even within the parties."

Danny rolled his eyes at me. "_This_ is why I don't like discussing politics with you," he said. "Because we don't actually discuss them. You provoke me, then you call me naive."

"I don't," I said, considering the idea even as I verbally dismissed it.

He lifted his eyebrows.

"Okay, maybe I do a bit," I conceded.

"Admit it," he said, "You just start these conversations because you want a chance to feel mature and dignified."

I laughed. "That and the chance it gives me to practise only talking about things I want to talk about. It'll be good for my planned career as an MP."

He mock-frowned. "I suppose I should actually deflect them then, rather than answering honestly then?"

"I don't know," I said. "All future politicians could do to practise their honesty."

"Now who's naive?" Danny asked.

"I have to wonder where we'll be in ten years," I said suddenly, because Danny was right, I _did_ try to steer us away from conversations about topics that actually mattered to us.

"Not here, I'm sure," Danny said.

"What's wrong with my flat?" I asked.

"Nothing, if you're a not very well paid parliamentary researcher. But I wasn't so much talking about the actual location, as the fact that we won't be together anymore."

I missed naive Danny. "If that's the way you feel," I said, stiff even for me.

"Of course that's the way I feel," he replied, totally missing my vocal cues. "Both of us are _always_ going to put a career over everything else."

I could almost feel sorry for the fact that that's his view of the future, if it didn't upset me as much as it did. Adding to this was the fact that I was more than a little disappointed with myself for believing Danny could feel anything else. "I'm not saying I think we're going to be together forever. In fact, I _am_ surprised we've made it nine months. But we have. I said once that I _do_ do one night stands, and I do. What I don't do is this kind uncertainty, where you're just waiting for it to end, Danny. I _can't_."

"I didn't mean to say that," he said, sounding rather quiet and I only realised then that I had been shouting. "I'm just acknowledging that statistically, it's unlikely."

"Statistically, it's also _unlikely_ that I would be Prime Minister in fifteen years. But it's definitely not going to happen if I drop out of politics tomorrow and become a children's author."

"You _want_ us to still be together in ten years," Danny said, and it wasn't a question, which meant I didn't have to answer.

I did anyway. "Yes. Do you?"

"I tend not to think on that kind of time-scale."

"Except when it comes to your career," I suggested.

"It doesn't have to be a battle between you and my political positions," he said, which was a laugh.

"It's not, except in your head," I insisted. "Sometimes I don't even know why you put up with me in the first place, given how incompatible you seem to think we are."

He shook his head at me. "You really want me to list your positive attributes for you?"

"It's the least you could do," I muttered under my breath, but I knew he could hear me. "Particularly if you're going to make me break up with you."

"You're serious about this."

I sighed. "Of course I am."

He ran a hand through his hair. "I have to admit, I am going to need some time to think about this."

"What, you thought we were only still together because of the sex?" I asked. "Hate to break it to you, but it's not good enough for that. I happen to also enjoy spending time with you."

He just smiled dryly at that. "Good to know you have standards." He seemed to know he wasn't off the hook yet.

"Tell me this, now that you've had some time to think about it: Can you imagine a world in which we're still together in a year? Or, rather. Can you imagine us managing to not break up sometime in the next year?" I pressed my eyes closed to a second. I really wanted him to give the right answer to this.

He looked at me like he couldn't believe I'd actually asked, then his face grew serious. "Yes, I can."

"Oh," I said. "Good. What about five?"

He took longer to answer, but he still replied, "Yes."

"Ten?"

He exhaled. "Not really."

"What's the gap between five and ten, then?"

"It's not that I want to break up with you at year seven."

"I'm glad," I replied.

"But ten years is a really long time. I just have a mental block when it comes to thinking about it."

"I see," I said coldly.

"Move in with me?" he asked.

I blinked at him for a couple of seconds, trying to figure out if that sentence meant what I thought it did.

"I'm not afraid of commitment, and I do like you. I just don't do a lot of imagining the distant future."

"You live with your brother and his girlfriend, Danny," I said.

"Then I could move in with you?" he asked.

I sighed. "Are you doing this because you're trying to convince me you think we have a future, or because you're trying to convince yourself?"

"I'm doing this because I want to see you every day," he said. "I'm sorry, I'm being an idiot _again_. It's not an either-or, break up with me or let me move in. I'd really prefer you not do the former, and I mean, the latter's really up to you."

"You mean it?" I asked. "You want to move in with me?"

"I do," Danny said.

"Just tell me that tonight isn't the first time the idea's occurred to you."

"Of course not!" He was indignant enough for me to believe him.

"Then yes." I should take more time to think about it, but I was being selfish and I knew it.

He smiled wanly at me, clearly emotionally exhausted. "Thank you," he said.

I shrug it off. I could say something about needing him more than he needs me and it would probably even be true, but I don't have to. "Isn't this going to make things much more complicated at the office?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Jo knows."

I snorted, trying to imagine _that_ conversation.

"She was kind of trying to set me up with the new intern," Danny said.

I lifted a single eyebrow, a gesture I knew he was jealous of me for being able to make. "And how long ago was this?"

"Three months," he said.

If there had been a pillow around I would have hit him with it. "You're a bloody fool," I said.

He shrugged. "I know."

**Author's Note:**

> I welcome and appreciate all kinds of comments, though I would (obviously) prefer if any criticism was constructive. :)


End file.
